Andrew Cunningham

Andrew Browne Cunningham (7 January 1883-12 June 1963) was an Admiral of the Fleet of the British Royal Navy during World War II. He served as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet during the war, and he later served as First Sea Lord.

Biography
Andrew Browne Cunningham was born in Rathmines, County Dublin, Ireland on 7 January 1883 to a Scottish Presbyterian family; he was the older brother of General Alan Cunningham. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Stubbington House, and he joined the Royal Navy in 1898. He served with distinction in the Dardanelles in World War I. At the beginning of World War II, he was commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet, and he launched a successful air attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto in November 1940. He also achieved success in the March 1941 naval Battle of Cape Matapan, where he effectively neutralized the Regia Marina for the rest of the war. From June to October 1942, he headed the admiralty delegation in Washington DC, and in January 1943 returned to the Mediterranean as commander-in-chief. He was Allied naval commander for the attacks on Italy later that year. As First Sea Lord from 1943 to 1946, he was involved in coordinating the British fleet on D-Day and during the Pacific campaign. Cunningham died in 1963 at the age of 80.